Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of A-Level results day and clearing 2014.

Hundreds of thousands of students will be waking up today to find out how they did in their exams - and if you're up at this time, we're going to assume you're one of them. Good luck!

It's a nerve wracking day for students and parents, who'll be keeping their fingers crossed as they pick up and open those all important envelopes.

Through the day we'll be bringing you stories from around the country, as well as expert advice on what to do next - whether you've got the results you wanted or you'll need to have a rethink.

If you're nervous you might not have got the grades you need to get onto the course you wanted to, don't worry - we'll be bringing you advice on UCAS, clearing and courses that might be a good option.

If you've got a results day story to share, send an email to web@mirror.co.uk or send a tweet to @DailyMirror

6:25 am

For many students, A-level results day will be a time of celebration and relief - but for others it will bring dismay at missing out on the grades they needed for a much-wanted degree or training course.

Sixth-formers who find themselves in the second category should not dwell on the disappointment and make an effort to look on the bright side, according to one academic.

Dr Matthew Smith, a senior lecturer in psychology at Buckinghamshire New University said that accepting the situation is the first step in moving forward.

"Acceptance is the key," he said. "Look to get the disappointment out of your system as soon as possible, and, although it may sound cliched, really do make an effort to look on the bright side.

"One of the first and most important steps in getting over a blow is acceptance; the acceptance of realising that you haven't achieved what you had hoped to. This is not easy and can be challenging as it often comes as a shock to the system. But it is the first step in moving forward and turning a negative situation into one that is positive."

6:40 am

UCAS said universities and colleges will be keen to hear from students once they know they are eligible for clearing, and can make verbal offers to students with the right qualifications from the morning onwards. Students can make official clearing choices from 5pm tomorrow.

Helen Thorne, director of policy and research at UCAS, said: "There'll be thousands of courses available in Clearing this year - perhaps in subjects students might not have necessarily considered, and the scheme remains open until the end of September.

"Stay positive and remember to prepare thoroughly before calling universities and colleges for an intelligent discussion about the courses you're interested in. You'll find all the information you need about Clearing on UCAS.com."

7:00 am

Jo Heywood, head of Heathfield School, a private girls' school said that students should not panic but remember "the early bird catches the worm".

Youngsters should set an alarm clock and get their results as soon as they can so that they can begin making decisions if necessary.

Those looking for a degree place should be "tenacious and persistent", Ms Heywood suggested, adding that one of her previous students who had slightly missed her grades travelled to the university she wanted to attend and waited there until they agreed to give her a place on her chosen course.

"It may be difficult for some to do that," Ms Heywood said, "but if there's any way you can, show you're really keen and what it means to you."

7:25 am

We're expecting statistics on this year's results from UCAS at around 9.30am, but in the meantime, let's take a look at some of the key statistics from last year's results.

Last year's figures (2013)

22.7%

Students achieving AAB grades

11.3%

Students with AAB grades in "facilitating subjects"

"Facilitating subjects" means subjects preferred by the Russel Group of top universities, and include maths, further maths, English literature, physics, biology, chemistry, geography, history and languages.

The least subscribed subject at A-Level was home economics, with just 331 entries - which might explain most first year students' inability to cook anything beyond frozen pizza.

7:29 am

The first few eager students have begun to collect their results in person.

Here's the first student to get their grades from Sheffield College. She looks pretty happy with them!

Michael Turner, director general of the Joint Council on Qualifications, an industry body representing exam boards, says this year's results have been "stable", despite changes to the system.

"As ever, students and teachers across the country have worked hard to achieve them and should be congratulated for their efforts and the fruits of their labours," he said.

"It is possible that due to the removal of the January series some schools and colleges may experience volatility in their results, depending on how they have adapted to the changes. But it is important to remember that standards have been maintained and, despite the changes, are comparable with previous years.

"The increase in the number of students taking Spanish and some other EBacc subjects at AS will be welcomed by many and it will be interesting to see if these rises follow through to next year's A-levels."

9:28 am

Here's Kate Nissan, who got 2 A* and one A from Newcastle High School in Jesmond with friend Bethany Painter, 18, who got 2 A* and a B.

Congratulations Kate and Bethany!

PA

9:31 am

And boys have outdone girls for the third year running, with 8.5% of boys' exams hitting the top A* grade, compared with 7.9% of girls.

8.5%

Boys

7.9%

Girls

For the first time ever, more than half a million people could be heading to university this year, according to UCAS.

As of midnight, 396,990 undergrads had been accepted onto courses, with 352,590 of those getting spots on their first choice.

9:43 am

Universities minister Greg Clarke says the A Level results have made today a "red letter day for everyone."

He said: "It's a record number of people placed on results day and as the weeks ahead progress it is looking likely the 500,000 barrier will be broken.

"That is tremendous news. One of the things the Government did this year was to increase the student number cap by 30,000, with a view to removing it next year.

"That's because we want to remove the cap on aspiration and we want every young person, who can benefit from higher education, to be able to do so.

"That's good for them and that's good for the country."

Jack Taylor/Barcroft

9:47 am

Here's some more pictures from Newcastle High School in Jesmond, where students have been celebrating their A Level results.

More of the highest possible grades were handed out this year than ever before, though the overall pass rate fell for the first time in more than 30 years.